, 1887-12-31
A CROOKED STICK STRENGTHENED.
n Teacher's Management of AZ Unruly
SchooIboy--A New Creature.

Sc~hoolboy--A New Creature.
I had an ugly, unruly boy in my room,
and he CAV me moro trouble than all the
rest of the class. All through the differ
ent grades of the large grammar school
he had been a terror to his teachers, and
he was hurried on to the c teacher
with surprising alacrity and precision.
He never lacked promotion. When I in
herited him L felt as if Nemesis had over
taken me, and just how to control him
and secure any kind Of work from him
was a problem L long wrestled with. For
several weeks he was the terror of the
room, and my reputation for good order
and dignity was, l felt, fast disappearing.
The boy would not obey unless he felt
like it, and punishments nae no effect
on him. He was there, he knew he was
there; lie had n reputation to sustain; he
had earned it by several years. close ap-
plication to wrong doing, and he meant
to maintain it at all hazards.
1t is unnecessary to narrate his pranks.
Every teacher has had such boys, and will
readily recognize this one. Every plan 1
evolved for the regeneration of the boy
proved abortive. lie wouldn't reform.
Finally, by accident, 1 stumbled on the
cure. l am not ashamed to say that it was
an accidental plan, for it was one of those
unexpected things that philosophers tell
US are pound TO come to pass.
1 discovered that he was interested in
his drawing, or rather was interested in
sketching odd bits of scenery, or objects
in the room, not even emitting his re
spected teacher, who was n typical school
marin and wore glasses. l resolved to
make the most of this one talent-if tai
ent it was-and SO one day, when L was
in my best and sweetest mood, 1 asked the
terror if he would not draw u plan for
some shelves L wanted put up in my
closet. He assented, and the sketch was
neatly and accurately made. There was
n new look in his eyes and q new express
sion on his face when he gave me the pa
per on which his drawings were made.
Then 1 advanced slowly and cautiously.
L needed some maps made, following n
new inventiono of mine in cartography, and
again L employed the terror, and again the
result was encouraging. The maps were
models of neatness and precision. 1 ju-
diciously praised him, and exhibited the
maps to the class and called for copies.
None ever equaled his, and his Joy was
complete.
We were studying the continent of Asia,
n the terror never had his geography
lesson learned; but when 1 suggested that
if he were to keep up his reputation in
drawing he must draw the details of the
country he wa sketching, geography be-
came n new study to him, and he easily
made excellent progress in this branch.
To do this he had to forego some of his
'fooling business, " and it was given up
simply because he had something more to
his liking to do.
In fine and to the point, the terror came
out of his chrysalis state n new creature.
His old ways were left, and he readily
adopted the better method of doing and
living. From a slouching, unkempt, I'M
couth, shambling, horrid boy, he emerged
into being a respectable, neat, tidy, order
loving, painstaking II Industrious young
man. L had found that there was some
thing he could do, and something he liked
to do, and that was all there was to it.
By doing something worth the doing he
had no time or liking for doing what was
not worth the doing, and mischief became
no longer the object of his existence
Winthrop in American Teacher.